Review Blog

May 09 2016

Let's play by Herve Tullet

Allen and Unwin, 2016. ISBN 9781760292980
(Age: 3+) Recommended. Following instructions, Wordplay, Humour. A
companion to Press here and Mix it up, this board
book offers great fun to both reader and listener, as little fingers
follow the instructions on each page.
The single line and yellow ball draws people's eyes across the page
and the simple question,'do you want to play?' invites the reader to
turn the page to see what will happen. Over the next few pages the
reader is invited to press the page and again follow the ball on the
line. The line becomes wavy with the ball jostled about, it does
loop the loops, and increases in number, and then colour, each time
with an instruction, but soon things become more complicated and the
ball goes into a black cave, then we see a double page of colour
wash, then colours and squiggles again.
The reader is lead through a whole range of words describing what is
happening: so they might use press, or middle, top or bottom, there
might be words to describe the path they re traveling, or green and
red traffic lights to obey.
All of it is highly amusing, involving the reader in play with each
page as it is turned, regaling them with things to do, instructions
and things to see. Children will laugh out loud as they move through
the book, each page evoking a response. Children will participate in
the actions asked by the book and be a willing player either by
themselves, with a parent or group.
The simple line drawings will encourage children to try things out
for themselves and some may use the idea to invent their own 'Let's
play' images.
Fran Knight